JUNE/JULY 2013 SA MINES & ENERGY JOURNAL
28
OPINION
Locking the gate on
poor communication
Listening, understanding and communicating is needed to debunk
wide-spread myths about the resources industry, says Dr Nigel Long.
If there is anything the South
Australian resources industry
can learn from the 'Lock the Gate'
protest, it is the importance of
exceptional communication.
The genuine concerns
of landholders and regional
communities are real -- even if they
are borne of a lack of understanding
and knowledge -- as can be seen in
the case of Coal Seam Gas (CSG).
This void has been efficiently hijacked
by interest groups with an ideological
position to shut down CSG, in fact
mining in general. The simple fact
is that there is always going to be
greater scrutiny and responsibility
on the industry to cover all bases:
social, environmental and economic.
The constant scrutiny and
perceived impacts publicised by
various interest groups means
the industry doesn't have the
luxury of making mistakes or
overlooking issues, no matter how
small or trivial they may seem.
The current enquiry by the State
Parliament into sustainable farming
practices has highlighted the primary
issues for rural communities about
the development of the resources
industry. Key issues raised include
impacts on aquifers, landholders'
rights and impact on productive land.
The enquiry also highlighted a
lack of clear understanding about
the nature of the industry, how it
is regulated and industry practice
in addressing these issues --
impacting public confidence in the
way the industry is managed. This
leads to fermenting of myths by
interest groups, which perpetuate
through communities unless
debunked. I hope that they are
debunked through the enquiry,
however, I'm not so confident.
This lack of confidence stems from
a recently completed enquiry into
water supply on the Eyre Peninsula.
The interim report included
this statement as a 'fact':
"...because the exploration drill
holes are only for 'minerals' the
companies that are drilling don't
have to case the bore holes ...
there is a huge chance the fresh
water lenses could be permanently
and irreparably contaminated"
.
It was not clarified by the
evidence that there are clear
regulatory guidelines requiring drill
holes to be cased where aquifers
are being intersected to prevent
contamination. The responsible
department, DMITRE, was not even
sought for advice and clarification
on the legislative requirements.
This shows that efficacy of
communication is absolutely critical.
It is human nature to want others to
understand our own circumstances
and get our point across before
understanding the other point of
view. Again, I don't think as an
industry we have that luxury.
First meetings with landholders
should always be about listening
and understanding their aspirations
for their business, their family,
their land... as well as listening to
concerns and questions. This is
why early engagement well before
on-ground activities commence is
imperative. We have to remember
that it is not only about the livelihoods
of landholders we are impacting
-- it is about their homes too.
But by no means should the entire
responsibility be laid on the industry.
The regulator has an essential
role and responsibility to inform
communities and landholders of the
rights of exploration companies and
the minimum regulatory standards
that must be complied with,
together with their obligations.
There is also a reasonable
expectation on the regulator
to uphold the standard of
their process and support the
industry against opportunistic
and/or ill-informed claims.
SACOME has a pivotal role to
play in ensuring the industry is
aware of its responsibilities and
good community engagement
practices. This is why we have
developed the 'Code of Conduct
for Mineral & Energy Explorers
in South Australia', which
provides a guide for companies
when accessing rural land.
The guide, endorsed and
supported by Primary Producers
SA (formally the South Australian
Farmers Federation), recognises
the rights of both landowners
and explorers, but is based on
the understanding that explorers
are 'guests' on the land and
should act accordingly.
For a copy of the Code, visit
www.sacome.org.au